Making TV ads in a PVR world

21 April, 2010

As you know, if one has a PVR (personal video recorder) or a service such as Sky, you have the ability to fast forward through any part of a TV programme that you previously recorded or are watching in Live Pause – for example, the adverts.

So how can ads that are being seen at 12x speed, with no sound, still make sense?

I would advise TV ad clients to consider:

– making an ad that works without sound

– using a clear visual device that stays onscreen, almost unmoving, like a uniformed character, or simple text

I’m sure this is a genre that will develop rapidly – do you have any suggestions?